Insanity of a Goddess
by NikkiTR
Summary: When Lara receives a phone call from an old friend she is suddenly thrown into a world-wide adventure, fighting against time to save the earth, as usual. However, nothing could have prepared her for the return of someone she will, once again, have to work with.
1. Chapter 1 Alone

**A/N:** Ok, so this is my first attempt at a fanfiction, actually my first attempt at writing anything, ever. I hope you like it and I don't bore you out of your minds, fingers crossed! Any feedback or comments would be lovely as I would like to know what people think of my writing. so here goes :)

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter One: Alone**

_"All men's misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone."_**  
**

* * *

The rain was hammering down hard on the windows of Croft Manor's gym. The weather had been like this for weeks and gave no sign of stopping soon. This, however, did not bother the young women currently inside the gym.

"Who needs to go outside to exercise?" she asked out loud after executing a perfect swan dive followed by three handsprings and a forward somersault without even breaking a sweat.

Lara Croft had spent the day working out in the gym toning her already athletic body. This had been her daily routine everyday for nearly two weeks and she was growing tired of not having a purpose. Zip had taken his annual one month holiday and was due back in two weeks. Lara, however, was not sure she could go another day being trapped in the tedious routine of waking up, getting breakfast, working out, having lunch, working out again, eating dinner and then working out yet again before retiring for the evening.

She wanted adventure, something exciting. She wanted to feel the thrill of being on the edge of danger and not knowing what was coming round the corner. She wanted the mystery of exploring and finding unknown myths and secrets of the past. Yet for months there had been nothing to catch Lara's attention. Sure, there had been offers, an archaeology dig here, a talk on ancient Egyptians there, but everything seemed dull. Plus she would most likely have to work in a team and answer to someone else. That was something Miss Croft was not very good at, obeying orders.

* * *

Tired from the day's activities, she slowly walked through the many corridors of Croft Manor to her bedroom. Winston had kindly left a pot of tea by her bed so she made herself a cup. She then shuffled over to one of her no doubt expensive yet comfy armchairs and stared out of the window into the black of the night. She sipped her tea for a while, enjoying the hot sugary taste. That's one thing people always got wrong about her. Lara Croft loved tea and took it with lots of milk and two sugars. She mindlessly fiddled with her braid as she began to reminisce.

It had been three months since Natla, Avalon and the discovery of her Mother's fate. She had come to terms with her mother's loss, preferring to think of the strong Amelia Croft rather than the mindless zombie she had become. In Lara's eyes, her mother had died when she pulled Excalibur out of the stone dais all those years ago in Nepal. Her mother was not the only person Lara had lost on that particular adventure. Alister's death had hit Lara hard but she had not given herself time to grieve and by the time she did have time to, she already felt she had avenged his death. She did, however miss his sarcastic yet witty comments.

Working independently (minus Zip of course) had never bothered Lara before, yet after finally learning what had happened to her mother, her only remaining family member, and then Alister, someone she classed as a close friend, she felt increasingly lonely. A feeling that only grew everyday day she spent in Croft Manor alone. She slowly began to relax and memories of a time when she didn't have to be alone crept back, of being able to depend on someone and trust them, of those blue eyes...

"What are you doing?" she suddenly thought, mentally shaking herself "look at yourself, world renowned tomb raider and you're sat at home drinking tea, feeling sorry for yourself!" She left her tea half drunk on a coffee table, and walked into her ensuite. She slipped out of her training gear, a pair of black jogging bottoms and a cropped sleeveless vest and stepped under the flow of running water. She let herself relax as the refreshing water caressed her body and she tried to clear her hazy brain. She really needed to get a grip.

* * *

Lara slowly began to wake, her body becoming aware of her surroundings. She felt strangely calm and relaxed, not something she usually felt at 5:30 in the morning, when she woke to start training. She turned onto her side and looked at her alarm clock.

"What?" she shouted out loud, sitting upright in bed, confusion dancing across her face. How can it be 10:30 she thought? Her alarm was set to go off at 5:30, she must have slept through it. Then she remembered the dream she had been having, being trapped in an airlock, that arrogant yet attractive American accent and that smug yet seductive smirk. No wonder she'd missed her alarm, even from beyond the grave Kurtis was managing to ruin her plans. She smiled a sad smile but quickly pushed the dream and her memories of him from her mind, not allowing herself to regret. She got up and tied her hair in a loose braid. It had been so long since anyone had seen her with her hair down, it was like it was an intimate part of her now, she felt vulnerable wearing it loose. She headed for the kitchen, a little puzzled with what to do, her routine ruined by the fact she had got up five hours late.

Winston was in the kitchen preparing Lara her breakfast, obviously aware she had slept in as she normally did it herself. A fact that was reinforced due to her attire, she was still in her silk pyjama bottoms and vest top.

"Good morning Lady Croft, I trust you slept well?" Winston asked. Lara could've sworn she saw his lip twitch a little, as if he was having a hard time trying not to smile.

"Morning Winston, I did, very well" she answered slightly embarrassed, Lara hardly ever got up late and Winston was finding this most recent blip rather hilarious. She ate her breakfast quickly, eager to get training and make up for lost time. She got up, thanked Winston and went to leave the room.

"You received a phone call from an old friend of your father's this morning, one Professor Lorenzo Auditore" Winston called after her. This made Lara stop dead in her tracks.

"_Zio _Lorenzo? Did he say why he was calling?" Lorenzo Auditore was one of Lara's father's dearest friends. He was head of the Greek mythology department at Galleria Dell'Accademia in Venice. Her father had often taken her there with him when he went to see Lorenzo. Lara had grown very close to the old man and saw him as a family member, hence why she called him uncle; she was always pleased to hear from him.

"He didn't leave a message, just asked if you could ring him when you had the time." Winston said while clearing the table of Lara's breakfast.

Lara practically ran to the phone, full of excitement. She found his number in her address book she kept by her phone and dialled.

* * *

"_Salve_?" and old but rich Italian voice replied.

"_Ciao_, _Zio_ Lorenzo, it's Lara, you called earlier?" she suddenly realised how much she had missed her old friend.

"Ah Lara, _bella bambina_, are you well?" He always used to call her bella bambina, beautiful girl, and it suddenly made her feel like a child again, young and carefree. Lorenzo had always managed to bring out Lara's fun side.

"I'm good _Zio_ Lorenzo, how are you?"

After the initial pleasantries had ended and Lara and Lorenzo had had a little chat and caught up he explained why he had rung.

"There is a serious matter I would like to talk to you about, _per favour_. 'Owever it is, how you say, _complicato_. I would like to talk to you in person, if that is ok. When are you next able to come to _Venezia_?"

A smile slowly crept across Lara's face, whatever Lorenzo wanted to talk about sounded interesting.

"I can be at the Academia tomorrow morning, shall we say nine o'clock?"

* * *

**A/N:** So there we go, chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed it and are eagerly awaiting chapter two :P Thank you very much for taking the time to read my work, it's greatly appreciated. Feedback or comments would be lovely or if you have any questions just send me a PM. I will post chapter two ASAP!


	2. Chapter 2 An Old Friend

**A/N: **so here is chapter two, again reviews would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Two. An Old Friend**

_"Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends."_

* * *

Venice was just as beautiful as Lara remembered. She loved everything about the city and always promised herself she'd come on a holiday here one day, that's if she ever gave herself a holiday. She had checked in at the Centurion Palace Hotel earlier that morning, a five star hotel a handy five minutes from the Accademia. Well if she was going to come to the city of love alone, then she was going to be alone in five star luxury at least. She had half unpacked what little she had brought with her but as she did not know how long she would be staying in Venice she soon gave up. She was far too excited about her meeting with _Zio_ Lorenzo anyway.

One thing she did manage to unpack and put in a safe place within the hotel room was something she valued very dearly and had a hard time parting with, Kurtis' chirugai. As pathetic as it seemed, she just could not leave it at her home. She knew how important it had been to Kurtis and over the years it had gained sentimental value to her. As she could never seem to make the five curved blades spin out and it just looked like an expensive metal Frisbee it was a lot easier to get through airport security than her dual pistols. Plus there was the fact Lara still hoped, one day it would produce its orange glow and lead her to a certain someone. But what was she thinking, he had died in Prague she had seen his blood, he had to be dead, didn't he?

She now stood outside the grand looking building that was the Accademia. She had rung _Zio_ Lorenzo as soon as she had landed and made further arrangements. He was to meet her outside the Gallery and they would go up to his office to talk.

* * *

Professor Lorenzo Auditore descended the Accedmia's step at quite a pace, remarkably agile for his old age. His gray hair was still peppered with strands of his natural colour, black and his green eyes positively glowed with happiness when they rested on Lara. Regardless of how long it had been since they last saw each other, Zio Lorenzo looked exactly the same to Lara. He towered above her as he embraced her in a loving hug and she instantly recognised the smell of old parchment and traditional Italian coffee. God she really had missed him.

"Lara, _bella bambina_, you look _magnifico_, please, please come inside, I am so _felicissimo_, eh delighted you could come at such short notice, _brilliante_!" Lara couldn't help but smile at the old man's joy.

Lorenzo led Lara to his office and as she entered she was hit with memories, coming here with her father to learn more of Lorenzo's impressive knowledge on Greek Mythology. She recognised the old rocking chair in the corner of the room, her father had sat there when the three of them had spoken long into the night and the young Lara had fallen asleep on his lap. The grand oak desk Lorenzo would sit behind and the many beautiful paintings that graced the walls of the small but wonderful room. It was as if the place hadn't aged a day since Lara last visited.

She made herself comfortable in the rocking chair and Lorenzo chose an armchair nearby, far less intimidating than behind the big desk. She turned to face him.

"So what's this serious matter you wanted to talk to me about, _Zio_ Lorenzo?"

The question made his expression change from happiness to worry. He took a deep sigh.

"Mamma mia, where to begin _bella bambina_"

* * *

"How much do you know about the Greek Goddess Hera?" _Zio_ Lorenzo asked, his wrinkled face looked concerned. Lara wished she could make whatever was troubling him disappear and she had a sneaking suspicion that was exactly the reason he had asked her here.

"Hera, she was the Queen of Olympia, married to Zeus, is that right? In Roman mythology she was called Juno."

"Ah _molto bene, bella bambina_! You are correct. Hera was Queen of the Gods and wife to Zeus. She was also the Goddess of Marriage, Women and Birth, _si_? She was one of the most _bello_, beautiful goddesses 'owever she was mean natured a fact that was only made worse by Zeus' _infedeltá_."

_Zio_ Lorenzo got up from his chair and walked over to one of the paintings on the wall. He took it down and brought it over to Lara. Underneath the painting it read '_La dea greca Hera, regina di Olympia_' The Greek Goddess Hera, Queen of Olympia. In the painting was a magnificent looking woman, her long golden hair in ringlets down to her knees, her blue eyes twinkling, almost as if they were catching light from outside of the painting. She wore a pristine white dress that seemed to ripple and cascade around her petite figure, tied in the middle with what looked like a band of pure gold. She looked breath-taking and Lara was momentarily bewildered by her beauty.

"One particular affair angered Hera much more than the others, and that was the affair of Zeus and Leto, know in _Roma_ as Latona. Do you know anything about that _bella bambina_?"

"um..Leto was the Goddess of motherhood and supposedly Zeus had fallen in love with her, that is why Hera was most angry at this affair especially. I'm sure Leto became pregnant with Zeus' child."

Lara could remember hearing this from Lornezo many years before, most of what she knew about the Greek Gods she had learnt from him and he was an _eccellente_ teacher.

"_Si, si_, she was carrying the twins Artemis and Apollo. Hera was _furioso_ and cursed Leto, making her unable to give birth on mainland. Poseidon, God of the Sea, took pity on Leto and guided her to the floating island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island." _Zio_ Lorenzo took a sip of coffee from a mug that had been sat on a table nearby. He offered Lara a cup but she declined, eager for him to get back on with the tale. He hesitated for a little, getting his breath back, it had been a while since he had spoken so enthusiastically about Mythology with anyone, no one seemed to want to know anymore. But not Lara he thought, and smiled.

"Hera, hearing of this, kidnapped Eileithyia, Goddess of childbirth, to prevent Leto from giving birth. The other gods, at Zeus command, bribed Hera with a beautiful _collana_, I mean necklace, which was said to be irresistible and she gave up, allowing Leto to give birth on Delos. The necklace is said to be nine feet long and made of pure gold and amber."

_Zio_ Lorenzo pointed to the picture of Hera again and Lara noticed the necklace. It was wrapped around her slender neck several times and hung loosely against her chest. It was made of the finest gold interrupted every so often by a glowing jewel of mesmerising amber. The necklace echoed perfectly, the beauty of Hera.

"Hera loved the necklace dearly and never took it off. When she supposedly retired from Olympia to her temple in _Grecia_, she made sure she was heavily guarded so no one could take it from her"

_Zio_ Lorenzo took another deep sigh.

"And so this is one of the reasons I have asked you here today _bella bambina_. But first I would like to treat you to lunch at one of my _favorito_ cafés." Lara looked up from the painting to _Zio _Lorenzo and was pleased to see he was smiling again.

"That sounds lovely _Zio _Lorenzo, but as long as you tell me why you brought me here, promessa?" She smiled back.

"Promessa!" he agreed.

* * *

**A/N:** so there's chapter two. I've begun to reveal the plot and I hope you are all finding it interesting.

Also here are the Italian translations so it maybe makes a little more sense!

Zio = uncle  
Bella bambina = beautiful girl  
Magnifico = magnificent  
Felicissimo = delighted  
Brilliante = brilliant  
Molto Bene = very good  
Si = yes  
Bello = beautiful  
Infedeltá = unfaithfulness  
Roma = Rome  
Eccellente = excellent  
Furioso = furious  
Collana = necklace  
Grecia = Greece  
Favorito = favorite  
Promessa = promise


	3. Chapter 3 Awakening

**A/N: **I am so sorry this has taken so long to upload, I am finally on summer holidays so I can write until my heart is content!

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Three. Awakening**

_"It is possible to experience an awakening in this life through realizing just how precious each moment, each mental process, and each breath truly is."_

* * *

_Zio _Lorenzo had taken Lara to the nearby café '_La Bella Rosa'_. The café was small, traditional and full of Italian character. The owner of the café, Signor Giovanni, greeted Lorenzo like an old friend and was then introduced to Lara. Giovanni showed them to an empty table, out of earshot from all the other customers, or so it seemed anyway. It was right by the front window of the café, the warm glow of the midday sun shining through, they had a beautiful view of The Grand Canal. They ordered lunch and admired their surroundings for a moment before getting back to business.

"_Zio _Lorenzo, something is clearly troubling you, please let me help you, amico" Lara gave him an encouraging smile across the table and he relaxed a little.

"Well, I had a young man visit me a few weeks back you see, asking about Hera and the necklace, saying it was to do with a _Università di assegnazione, scusa_...assignment. I found out later, 'owever, this was not the truth!" _Zio_ Lorenzo visibly tensed and clenched his fists that had been resting on the table. Lara placed her hands on his and smiled up at him. He smiled back at her but it seemed strained.

"The boy was actually a treasure hunter, and a poor one at that, _sciocco_, foolish boy. He wanted this information as he was attempting to steal the necklace and become rich from the _profitto_. He was ill equipped and lacking _importante informazioni_. The temple is in ruins now as it was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th Century AD but it is believed there is a hidden _sanctuario_ beneath it where Hera will rest for eternity. He tried to get into the _sanctuario_ using _esplosivi,_ sorry I seem to have forgotten the word in _Inglese_."

"Explosives _Zio _Lorenzo, go on." Lara was slowly becoming aware of the seriousness of the situation.

"_Si_, yes, explosives. As you can imagine this did nothing, we are talking about the Temple of a Goddess, brute force will not achieve anything." _Zio _Lorenzo became quiet and Giovanni brought over their lunch. They both thanked him and he left without questioning the lull in conversation his appearance had made, he understood the importance and secrecy of Professor Lorenzo's work.

"The boy came back to me a few days ago" Lorenzo sighed. "He seemed very _preoccupat_o_, _worried. He told me how after the explosion everything had gone deadly _silenzioso_, there was not a sound for miles. He said the sky had gone suddenly grey and clouds had rolled in. At first I thought he was being _drammatica_, but what he told me next proved his mistake." Lara had never seen _Zio _Lorenzo look so scared and vulnerable, she had always imagined him as a strong and brave man, much like her father. The sight of him clearly so worried made her angry at this treasure hunter she had never even met and she prayed, for his sake, she never would.

"What happened _Zio_?" The question was a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"He said..." another deep sigh, "he said, that from the gardens surrounding the temple two peacock emerged and walked to the centre of the ruins. _Bella bambina_, are you aware that the peacock was sacred to Hera, like a motif?"

Lara could only shake her head.

"Well they were and according to the boy, both the peacocks each had around their necks a replica of Hera's necklace, only far less _grande. _They both then flew up into a nearby tree and disappeared. 'Owever they left behind something of great significance, a small ornament made of the finest gold. It was in the shape of a pomegranate. Yet another emblem of the Goddess Hera."

"What are you telling me _Zio _Lorenzo?" Lara had a very good idea what he was about to say, but waited for him to confirm it.

_Zio _Lorenzo took a deep breath and carried on. "It is written that if Hera was ever to be _disturbato _from her eternal rest then her sacred being, these two particular peacocks, supposed the same two peacocks that were used to pull her chariot, would bring her an item that was of unimaginable value to her as a peace offering. Of course our treasure hunter couldn't resist that now could he, _idiota! _He stole the ornament and ran." _Zio _Lorenzo paused for a moment, seeming to choose his next words carefully.

"If what has been written and what I studied for more than _cinquanta_ years is true then the Goddess Hera is awake and more insane, jealous and angry than ever before!" _Zio _Lorenzo began massaging his temples, trying to calm himself down. "She has already begun to show her displeasure at being woken up."

Displeasure, that didn't sound good, "what do you mean _Zio_?"

"Hera has the ability to slowly turn people insane and she has already infected villages nearby her temple. She is 'owever, only using this ability on women, most likely because of her hatred and jealousy of other women. The men are too frightened to do anything or to leave. Hera has also been causing major natural _disastri,_ such as earthquakes and floods, but she is only just regaining the use of her powers and so cannot affect large areas at a time. Unfortunately her powers are constantly growing and everyday she is able to infect more women, young and old, even children. If she is left she will no doubt soon, be able to _tortura_ the minds of every woman on this earth." Lara noticed _Zio _Lorenzo physically slump a little in his seat, he seemed a little calmer at being able to share this horrible information with someone but by no means relieved.

It took Lara a moment to take all of this in. Lorenzo had just told her the Queen of the Goddesses had been woken up and she was pretty pissed off about it, the local women were slowly being turned mad, nearby villages were being attacked by natural disasters and if 'someone' didn't do anything soon, the whole world would be in Hera's control. Lara would've bet the whole Croft estate and fortune that _Zio _Lorenzo thought that 'someone' should be her.

"I don't understand why there hasn't been more publicity on it" she said, pushing her food around the plate with her fork, she had suddenly lost her appetite. "Surely someone must've found something?"

But Lorenzo just shook his head. "I only know through the boy and the locals living nearby the temple are either already under Hera's control or too _terrorizzata _to do anything, they will suspect it is something to do with the Gods and will probably be too afraid to speak of it, in case they displease them. _Greci_ are still very aware of the myths."

Lara looked up at her old friend, he looked tired, very tired in fact. She was aware he wasn't as young as he used to be but he still seemed so carefree and full of life that she often forgot his true age. There in that moment, with worry etching his already wrinkled face, and the joy and happiness gone from his green eyes, Lara promised herself she would do whatever it takes to make _Zio _Lorenzo smile again.

"What do I need to do _Zio?"_

* * *

**A/N:** I am aware that is probably quite a boring chapter, and I'm sorry, but it is needed and very important! but if you're good I may post chapter four (which is far more interesting) very soon

Italian translations  
La Bella Rosa = the beautiful rose  
Signor = Mr  
Università di assegnazione = university assignment  
Scusa = sorry, excuse me, pardon etc.  
Sciocco = foolish  
Profitto = profit  
Importante informazioni = important information  
Sanctuario = sanctuary  
Esplosivi = explosives  
Inglese = English  
Preoccupato = worried  
Silenzioso = silent  
Drammatica = dramatic  
Grande = grand  
Disturbato = distrubed  
Idiota = idiot  
Cinquanta = fifty  
Disastri = disasters  
Tortura = torture  
Terrorizzata = terrified  
Greci = Greeks


	4. Chapter 4 Impossible

**A/N: **Because I felt so guilty at not uploading for a while, here is chapter 4, uploaded in the same day as chapter 3! Lucky people :P Enjoy!

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter four. Impossible**

_"Man can believe the impossible, but man can never believe the improbable."_

* * *

The two sat in silence for a while, Lara waiting for _Zio _Lorenzo's reply while he tried to think of one.

"I really am not sure, _bella bambina, _all I knew was you were the only person I was willing to entrust the information too and the only person that would understand the seriousness of the situation." He sipped some of his coffee, that by now must have been cold, but he did not seem to mind.

"What happened to the golden pomegranate _Zio?" _Lara asked, hoping he had had the sense to keep hold of it, and not let that foolish treasure hunter run off with it.

"I took it off the _stupido idiota, _he didn't deserve it anyway. It's hidden away in my office."

Somewhere, outside of the bubble that had surrounded _Zio_ Lorenzo and Lara, she was aware of the sound of a chair scraping the floor as it was pushed back, rather violently in this case, but she ignored it, deeming it as irrelevant compared to what _Zio _Lorenzo had just told her.

"If possible I would really like to examine it _Zio_, maybe it could help us in finding a lead, we clearly can't waste time!" And the tomb raider was back! She could already feel her mind, returning to its puzzle solving, escape route finding, sharp old ways, as if it had never left.

"_Certamente _eh, certainly, _bella bambina, _let me just pay Signor Giovanni..."

"Eh, eh, you have no paid for that!" came Signor Giovanni's voice across the restaurant to an unknown customer. There was no urgency or panic in his voice however, he was clearly just making a statement. Lara barely acknowledged it, too busy worrying about her old friend.

"Ah, sorry _amico_, my mistake, here, keep the change."

Lara's heart practically stopped beating. The accent the words were spoken with. The hidden amusement behind them. The unmistakable arrogant tone they were said with. She would've known that voice if it was spoken amongst a thousand others. It was him!

Before she could stop herself she sprung up, her chair thrown back in the process, she spun towards the counter, no one there. She heard the bell signalling the opening of the door. She slowly turned towards it, not sure what she wanted to see there.

Blue. That's all she saw. Eyes of the brightest blue. And then they were gone, disappearing around a corner, just like that, along with the man they belonged to. She ran out of the café, not even sure if it had been him, but wanting to catch up with whoever it was regardless. But there was nobody outside, nobody making a quick getaway, nobody sneaking off. The street was empty.

Lara felt her heart drop. "What were you expecting?" She asked herself. "He's dead, remember?"

She turned around, mentally scolding herself for acting so foolishly, to see a very confused _Zio _Lorenzo leaving the café. She suddenly felt very embarrassed by her abrupt exit, she obviously needed to give Lorenzo an explanation, but what? She had all of a sudden jumped up and ran out of the café after a man she thought was dead just to be met with nothing, as if she had imagined it all? He had just entrusted her with very important information, she didn't want him thinking she was mad!

"You alright _bella bambina_? You gave me quite a shock there." He sounded amused. This momentarily amazed Lara. She looked up to see her old friend smiling. After everything that had just been said he still had a sense of humour. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"It's nothing _Zio,_ I thought I recognised someone, that's all." And then he began to laugh, a rich, deep chuckle that was highly contagious. Lara could help but laugh back.

"Oh _bella bambina, _you do keep me on my toes, don't do it again though, you nearly gave me a _attacco di cuore, _sorry a..um.."

"Heart attack _Zio_. Come on, let's go back to your office, I would like to see this golden pomegranate."

* * *

The walk back from the café, although short, had taken longer than Lara would have liked. Lorenzo was an old man now, a fact Lara kept forgetting. She did not want to rush her friend, but what had happened back at the café had made her apprehensive and she would rather be somewhere familiar, back at _Zio _Lorenzo's office.

They were climbing the stairs toward his study when Lara's unease increased, something wasn't right.

"_Zio _Lorenzo, wait there" she whispered, an order not to be ignored. "Something's off, I don't like it!"

She crept up the remaining stairs, whishing she had brought her dual pistols to Venice, she hadn't thought she'd need them. She saw the door, left ajar, Lara remembered perfectly having shut it as they left. She stood up against the door with her back to it. One hand on the door knob the other clenched at her side, ready to make contact with whatever got in her way. She counted to three, swung the door open, leapt into the room and slammed the door behind her so no one could escape. After a brief sweep of the room she concluded there was no one in the room at present but there definitely had been at some point, the sight she was met with was a dismal one.

_Zio _Lorenzo's office had, literally, been turned upside down. Every draw was left open, the contents thrown all over the floor. Every chair over turned. Every painting thrown off the wall. The cabinet in the corner had it doors open wide and everything inside had been thoroughly searched through. The sight would kill Lorenzo, all his work, belongings, paintings thrown about without a care. Lara sighed deeply. "Why now?" She asked nobody in particular. This was the last thing he needed.

_Zio _Lorenzo approached the door with caution, not sure what to make of the silence that had followed Lara's entry into the room. He slowly opened the door and entered.

"Lara? Is everything alri..."

Lara could tell from the abrupt stop to his speech that he had seen the mess. She watched him wonder the small room, despair etched on his face. He lightly touched his belongings but dared not move them, in fear they might break or shatter from the rough treatment they had clearly been subject to. He turned to the cabinet and his eyes suddenly widened and he stood deadly still.

"The Ornament!"

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it's quite a short chapter, I wanted to start moving the story on :)

Italian translations  
Stupido Idiota = stupid idiot  
Certamente = certainly  
Amico = friend  
Attacco di Cuore = heart attack


	5. Chapter 5 Hopeless

**A/N: **oh my lord, it has been a while! I'm really sorry guys, I just kinda got distracted by school and work I guess. But I re-read through it and remembered how much I loved writing this so decided to start uploading again (plus you guys were still giving me amazing feedback that I probably don't deserve) anyway I totally understand if my punishment for temporarily abandoning this is no one wants to read it anymore! Ima still keep uploading ;) (if I start slacking with uploads again shout at me or something!)

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Five: Hopeless**

_"There are no hopeless situations; there are only men who have grown hopeless about them."_

* * *

_Zio _Lorenzo hurried over to the cabinet in the corner and rummaged around for a moment or two. He then pulled out a large box covered in a beautiful intricate pattern of golds and silvers. Lara could tell it wasn't a priceless artefact but it was stunning all the same. _Zio _Lorenzo flicked the clasp on the front of the box, one Lara noticed had no possibility of being locked. He turned to face Lara and opened it. Although she could not see inside the box as the lid obstructed her view she could see from _Zio _Lorenzo's expression that the box was empty. He fell back onto the nearest chair and held his head in his hands.

Lara also sat down and considered what had just happened. She'd seen enough break-ins to know this one was rushed, if the culprit had had more time they would have been more careful, a lot more careful. They would have made sure nothing was out of place when they left with what they had wanted. Doing this would give them more time to get as far away as possible as it would take longer for the individual to notice what was missing. Because _Zio_ Lorenzo's office had been left a mess, he instantly had checked anything that would have been of value and noticed it was missing a lot earlier. Therefore, Lara decided, the criminal had been pushed for time, knowing they would be returning soon.

They had been gone no longer than 45 minutes, one hour at the most, that would have been plenty of time to find what you were looking for and then tidy up such a small room. So whoever it was had not entered straight away. That puzzled Lara, wouldn't they have gone in as soon as _Zio _Lorenzo and Lara had left to give themselves more time? Why didn't they? There was also the question of who?

"Do you have any idea who would have stolen it _Zio _Lorenzo? The treasure hunter perhaps?" Lorenzo shook his head.

"He may have been an _idiota_ but he understood the seriousness of his actions. Once I told him what he had done, he gave the ornament up willingly and left rather quickly, not wanting anymore to do with it. I don't believe he would come back for it, he seemed too _terrorizzata_" _Zio _Lorenzo looked truly devastated and it broke Lara's heart, he was one of the most selfless, kind people she knew, he didn't deserve this.

"Ok, so if it isn't him who else could it be? Who else knows about it _Zio_?" Lara stood up and started pacing the office, she was becoming restless and it gave her something to do. Lorenzo shook his head again.

"I have no idea _bella bambina_, the only people that know about this are you, me and the boy. You are the only person I have told and I really don't think the boy would wish to share his _stupidità_ with anyone" Lorenzo, tired of feeling useless got up out if his chair and began to tidy his office, avoiding Lara's pacing route.

"Well, if we are the only people who know and you are sure the boy would have told no one.." she paused and looked at him, he nodded with certainty and carried on cleaning up. "Then someone must have overheard us at the café and then come back to the office, it would explain why the place was searched in a hurry and left in a mess, they must have known we wouldn't stay at the café long. It also means the culprit knows who you are, or at least where you work, as you only mentioned 'your office' not where it was or how to get there."

Her mind flashed back to the man making a quick getaway from the café, the one with the bright blue eyes, could he have something to do with it? He did leave in a hurry and seemed to vanish into thin air. But even if he had been involved, Lara hadn't got a good enough look to even be able to point him out in a crowd, she'd only seen his eyes. Plus she was hoping something else entirely about the mysterious man, something that was clearly impossible.

She shook her head and turned to _Zio _Lorenzo, watching him tidy up. She suddenly felt guilty, she'd been so worried about the ornament and the curious man that she hadn't been thinking of her friend and the fact his office had been broken into and his possessions thrown about as if worthless.

"Here let me help you _Zio" _and the two began to slowly clear up the mess and turn _Zio _Lorenzo's office back into the calm and tranquil room it was before.

* * *

Half an hour later they sat in _Zio _Lorenzo's room, it was back to normal but it felt different, knowing someone else, a stranger, had been in there and moved and touched Lorenzo's possessions. It was also rather odd that only the ornament had been stolen, everything else was present and surprisingly nothing damaged. With this fact Lara concluded that the culprit had only be after the ornament, and therefore was not just a burglar that had stumbled on something very valuable.

The two sat in silence; they had no idea who could have stolen it, let alone where they would be right now. Without the ornament they also had no information or leads, nowhere to go from here. Lara hated the uncertainty; she nearly always had all the information she needed, that's why she had hired Zip and Alister all those years ago. She never went into something if she did not feel she had the relevant knowledge.

She didn't blame _Zio _Lorenzo at all, it wasn't his fault, maybe he should think about installing some type of security into his office but this was Dorsoduro, a calm and quiet district in Venice, things like this just didn't happen here. It was just so frustrating that she didn't have a lot of time to solve this potentially earth destroying problem and her only source of information had managed to 'wonder off'.

She heard _Zio _Lorenzo take a deep sigh and she turned to him, realizing he was about to speak.

"_Bella bambina, _I had hoped today would have gone slightly more to plan. Mrs Auditore and I had wanted to take you to _Teatro La Fenice _tonight to see a play. We have both missed you dearly and thought it would be a _splendido _idea and a nice way to end what was supposed to be a day of _progresso_. Obviously I understand if because of recent _condizioni _you would rather give it a miss." _Zio _Lorenzo looked at Lara, his face a mix of hope and expectation.

Lara had never really been into plays and the theatre, sitting still was not her thing. But with _Zio _Lorenzo stood in front of her, so desperate to spend more time with her she was very tempted. She knew _Zio _Lorenzo saw her as the daughter he never had, for some reason Lorenzo and his wife Maria had never had children although she knew they had truly wanted to be parents. She never asked why they hadn't, deeming it a very sensitive and personal issue.

Lara would do anything to please Lorenzo, she saw him as a family member, practically like a father figure and if he was happy then so was she. Therefore with _Zio _Lorenzo basically asking her to let him treat her like a daughter, to make him and his wife happy, Lara gave in and agreed on the condition that she paid for her ticket, a condition _Zio _Lorenzo instantly rejected.

* * *

La Fenice Theatre was spectacular. There was row after row of seats covered in the richest red velvet. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with luxury boxes, available to guests who could afford to pay a little extra. The ceiling was pale blue and decorated with paintings of angels circling the grand chandelier hanging from the middle of the room. Even Lara couldn't ignore its beauty regardless of the fact she felt more comfortable in tombs when she wasn't surrounded by quite so many people. She was silently glad Maria had been able to give her something to wear, Lara hadn't packed for a theatre visit and turning up in a top and some jeans would have given her far more attention than she wanted.

She had borrowed one of Maria's black gowns; it was strapless and rippled right down to the floor. It had a pattern of what looked like gold feathers around her chest and drew in just under her bust to then flow loosely to the ground. Her hair was up in a loose but stylish bun, with two strands of her brunette hair falling in front of her ears, framing her strong but radiant face. Lara had been surprised by her appearance once she had looked in the mirror after trying it on with Maria. Lara had always thought of herself as relatively good-looking, a fact she sometimes but rarely used to her advantage. However she did not think of herself as beautiful or elegant, two things that practically shone from her reflection she saw when she looked into the mirror. Once Maria had seen her it in, she insisted Lara kept it, saying she would probably never get the chance to wear it again and that Lara looked far better in it. Lara tried to refuse, saying she felt bad about taking the dress, but Maria was just as stubborn as her husband when it came to kindness and would not let Lara return it.

Just like _Zio _Lorenzo, Lara had grown close to Maria, she had not seen her as many times as she had Lorenzo but she was still very fond of the woman. Lara knew from photos she had seen of Maria when she was younger that she had been beautiful, stunning even. Her hair had been pure black and reached to her waist, she had eyes of the deepest brown, darker than Lara's hazel and she had always, as long as Lara had known her, had a perfect, petite, figure. She had aged wonderfully and looked just as graceful now as she had done twenty years ago. Lara smiled at her as they took their seats in the theatre, she chose one next to the aisle, making sure she had a clear exit, a habit she had never quite gotten rid of regardless of the situation.

They settled and waited for the play to start, which to Lara's horror was Romeo and Juliet. "Great" she thought, "how ironic, I'm alone in the City of Love and it decides to mock me like this!" But she knew how excited _Zio _Lorenzo and Maria had been when she had agreed to come so she hid her discomfort and tried to enjoy the play.

* * *

**A/N: **pleeeeeaase forgive me for taking so long to post this! please :) thank you for all your lovely and continuing support!

Italian Translations  
idiota = idiot  
terrorizzata = terrified  
stupiditá = stupidity  
Teatro La Fenice = La Fenice Theatre  
splendido = splendid  
progresso = progress  
condizioni = terms/circumstances


	6. Chapter 6 Reconciliation

**A/N: **so because I left all you lovely people for so long I'm uploading another chapter for you, two chapters in three days, you lucky people! I'm especially excited about this chapter and I soooooo hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please keep your wonderful reviews coming! I may be a tiny bit hungover right now so keep them nice ;) and thank you for staying with me this far, you guys rock!

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Six: Reconciliation**

_"If there is to be reconciliation, first there must be truth."_

* * *

It was the interval of the play and Lara had strangely found herself enjoying it. She didn't know if it was because of the beautiful building they were in or if it was the fact they were in Venice and it just made everything seem so much mystical and enchanting, but this performance had been better than any of the plays she had seen back in England. She turned to chat with _Zio _Lorenzo and Maria about the play and they both also seemed to be enjoying it. Lara couldn't remember the last time she'd allowed herself to have a night out and have fun. She was secretly glad _Zio _Lorenzo had persuaded her to come to the theatre.

Maria excused herself, needing to visit the ladies, leaving Lara and _Zio _Lorenzo. They could have discussed Hera or the ornament or what to do next but instead they just sat in silence, listening to the buzz of conversation from the people all around them, neither wanting to ruin the lovely evening they were having. Lara realised she had finally managed to relax. Ever since the conversation she had had with _Zio _Lorenzo at the café and then the incident with the man she'd been on edge, tense, waiting for something to happen. But throughout the first act of the play she had calmed and now felt more at ease. She was still obviously worried and apprehensive about what was to come but for now she just enjoyed the feel of sitting with an old friend, comfortable in their silence.

She'd been mindlessly listening to other people's chat, not really taking in what they were talking about, more just their voices and the emotions they were expressing them with, when she heard it again. The American accent from the café. She only just caught what the voice was saying, apologising as they passed people, making their way to the aisle. She could hear it was coming from behind her. She couldn't believe it, this was her chance. She quickly stood up and was about to follow when she remembered _Zio _Lorenzo, she wasn't about to run off without an explanation again.

"Excuse me a moment _Zio_, I just want to step outside for a minute, I feel a little...um...dizzy." Lorenzo chuckled and waved her off, clearly not believing a word of it, Lara Croft, dizzy? Who was she kidding? But she didn't have time to worry about that now.

She hurried down the aisle, having to deal with the length of the dress as well as the ridiculous size heels Maria had let her borrow. Not only were these proving a challenge but she was having to weave and dodge between people who were socialising in the aisle. By this point she had no idea where the man with the accent was but she carried on, determined.

She made it into the theatre's entrance hall and looked around. There were groups of people talking, huddled into their little circles exchanging gossip. She strained her ears and tried to hear all the conversations at once. Every voice she heard was Italian. "Damn!" She thought, he couldn't just disappear again. Then she noticed the main doors wide open, leading out into the street. She walked out, the warm evening breeze playing with her hair and ruffling her dress. She looked up and down the street. It was mostly deserted, just a few couples here and there, all Italian. She sighed; she'd been so close, again. Who was this man? Was he at all involved in the disappearance of the ornament? And why the hell did he remind her so much of Him, a man who was supposed to be dead?

She waited a moment taking in the air and calmed herself, no point going back in looking all confused and dishevelled, it would just worry _Zio _Lorenzo more. She was about to turn when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Lara slowly turned, ready to defend herself from whoever had managed to sneak up on her. Then her eyes met his and her self-control faltered, every ounce of strength she had just mustered up, vanished instantly.

"Well, well Ms Croft, what a surprise seeing you here" he smirked at her.

That smirk, how it managed to piss her off and disorientate her all at the same time. She took several steps towards him and then slapped him clean across the face.

* * *

"OW! Jesus Lara what was that for? Damn that hurt!" he held the side of his face her hand had just made contact with.

"Don't be so weak! That wasn't even hard!" She lied. She could feel the pain in her hand and she knew his face would be feeling a lot worse.

Kurtis Trent turned to face Lara, his expression a mix of pain and amusement. He was still holding the side of his face, but not in quite so much agony.

"After all these years and that's the welcome I get?" She was about to reply, probably something insulting, when his words suddenly hit her. He was right, it had been a long time ago. Prague, the Nephilim, their meeting in the Louvre. To her it still felt like it was only yesterday. She looked at Kurtis. He hadn't changed a bit. His black hair still fell in strands across his forehead, he still held himself in the same arrogant but powerful stance. She could see his defined muscles straining against his clothes, she moved on from his body quickly, not allowing her eyes to linger too long. She looked up and was suddenly caught, trapped in the mesmerising azure of his eyes, the eyes she had dreamt about nearly every night since Prague.

Then she remembered why she had come outside. Breaking eye contact with him, so she was able to think clearly, she took a step back and crossed her arms.

"What are you doing in Venice Kurtis? I thought you were dead!" She knew she wouldn't get a straight answer but it was worth a try, plus she was more interested in whether he'd give anything away through his expression or emotions. Lara was very good at reading people.

"Me dead? Wouldn't want to give you the satisfaction" he winked at her, Lara returned it with a scowl.

"You didn't answer my question Trent!" she practically growled. He chuckled and answered "oh you know, the usual, sightseeing, visiting the local monuments" he paused and looked at Lara "keeping up with trouble" he smiled a little but other than that, gave nothing away.

"Oh so it was you at the café, was it?" she asked, rather sarcastically. "When did you add stalker to your list of traits?" she remained emotionless, if Kurtis was going to play it cool, so was she.

They stared each other out for a moment, both waiting for the other to break away, neither did. Kurtis began to circle round Lara admiring her body under the alluring dress she wore, it was nice, but too long for his liking, he smiled at this thought, but quickly pushed it aside. He needed a clear head if he wanted to deal with Ms Croft successfully.

Lara began to feel a little vulnerable as Kurtis prowled around her, like a wolf sizing up his prey, the fact she was wearing a dress that was a little tight in all the right places didn't make her feel any more comfortable. She could practically feel his eyes roaming her body.

"You are looking exquisite tonight, if I might add" yet another of his smirks, this time it sent a shiver up Lara's spine; she tried hard to hide it from him but she saw the smug look in his eyes and knew he must have noticed. How did he do this to her? He was the only person she knew that could make her loose her steel-like grip on her self-control practically instantly.

"Just because I'm in a dress it doesn't mean I won't kick your ass Trent" She then noticed what he was wearing, a black shirt that clung to his body rather distractingly. It was not buttoned all the way to the top so some of his chest was on show, a fact Lara notice rather quickly. It was accompanied with a black suit jacket and some jeans. He managed to pull the smart-casual look off effortlessly and it annoyed Lara that he was able to dress like that and look acceptable yet she had to wear a full on gown. Although she had to admit, he did look rather charming.

She turned to face out over the street, clearing her mind. What was going on? Kurtis Trent, a man she believed was dead for years had just miraculously appeared in Venice and there they were either bickering like children or driving each other insane.

Lara sighed, "what do you want Kurtis?"

She suddenly sensed him coming up behind her, and then felt his cool breath on the back of her neck. If she thought he'd given her shivers before, they were nothing compared to what was happening to her body now. Goosebumps began to rise over her arms and bare shoulders yet she suddenly felt very warm. She began to feel as if her legs could no longer support her. Her lips were dry and she was experiencing the weirdest sensations in her stomach which were slowly moving lower.

"I think what you mean is what do **you** want?" and with that he slowly drew his arm around her body, never making contact but so close that Lara could sense its every move, almost begging it to touch her. He stopped it just in front of her stomach and waited. Lara took a deep breath and looked down. And there sitting in the middle of his palm was a pomegranate made of gold.

* * *

**A/N: **So I hope the appearance of a certain someone lived up to your expectations :D if you liked this chapter you are gonna LOVE chapter seven! ;)


	7. Chapter 7 Close

**A/N: **Chapter seven (the one I'm hoping you're all gonna love) as promised

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Seven: Close**

**"**_Love casts out fear, but we have to get over the fear in order to get close enough to love them."_

* * *

"It was you!" she wheeled around, now face to face with Kurtis. The previous emotions he had made her feel all pushed aside by pure anger.

"You were the one that broke into and demolished Professor Lorenzo's office!" She took a step forward causing Kurtis to step back. There was no emotion on his face but he was truly amazed. He had never seen Lara so angry. He thought she would have been relieved that he had the pomegranate, after all, it meant it hadn't been stolen or sold on by someone else. Yet there she was, absolutely furious and he could not work out why.

She made a grab for the pomegranate but Kurtis was expecting it and swiftly tucked his hand behind his back, the corner of his lip twitching, trying to hold back a smile.

"This isn't time for games Kurtis, give me the pomegranate." Her eyes met with his, a clash of hazel against azure. Each was waiting for the other to make a move, deciding how best to counter that move. They both stood deadly still, separated by a mere few inches.

"I'm not playing games Lara, I'm attempting to make a deal." This threw Lara a little, a deal? What was he up to?

"What do you want Kurtis?" She repeated, standing her ground, refusing to break eye contact.

"Quite a few things actually. I've heard you're very interested in this ornament. Therefore I'm sure you're willing to give a few things up to get it back" he smirked again. Damn that smirk, Lara thought, it gave him a certain amount of arrogance which Lara found rather attractive, against her own will. She attempted to clear her head of him.

He had her right where he wanted her. Lara desperately needed the ornament, it was her only lead, and Kurtis knew it. It must have been him in the café, that way he would have heard them talking about it and known about Lara's interest. That still didn't answer how he knew where to find it, or why he was in Venice in the first place. Oh and also how the hell he was still alive.

"Name them and I'll consider" she answered, adding a rather flirtatious smile, if he was going to be difficult so was she. She couldn't afford to give anymore away. She crossed her arms, placing them just below her chest, emphasising her breast. She saw Kurtis' eyes drop and his cool exterior falter, it was only for a moment, but she noticed and grinned wider. Kurtis Trent was a hard man to crack and she needed all the help she could get.

"Well, firstly I would like my chirugai back." He gave her a knowing look and she tried her hardest not to blush.

"Why don't you just call it back, you didn't seem to have trouble controlling it when you tried to take my head off in the Louvre." Whoops, she shouldn't have mentioned the Louvre; every time she did her head was filled with memories, his warm touch, his teasing fingers, those inviting lips and his eyes. Damn his beautiful eyes. She mentally shook her head, attempting to return to reality.

"It has been a long time, my connection with it is weak and I need to be relatively close. However it never seems to stay in one place, always moving around, never left alone. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" his eyes twinkled with amusement as he watched Lara squirm with embarrassment; he knew she carried it around with her everywhere she went, he could sense it. One thing he didn't understand was why, she couldn't use it as a weapon, so why bother?

Ignoring his question she asked "Anything else you want Kurtis, I'm willing to bet you didn't steal the ornament just for the chirugai."

He smiled and began to circle round her again, never taking his eyes off of her. Lara stood still, allowing him to stare; she would not be intimidated by this smug, impossible American.

"Why yes, there is something else." He began to circle a little closer, his eyes practically blazing with, what was it? Lara wasn't sure. It wasn't anger. It was too serious to be humour. Could it be desire? "Of course not" her mind screamed at her. "Don't be stupid, keep focused, he's playing with you, trying to make you give in. You're Lara Croft, you never give in!"

"Gone on then say it, I've got to go back to _Zio _Lo...I mean Professor Lorenzo in a minute, I haven't got all day." Something flew across Kurtis' face; Lara couldn't quite recognise what it was. Then, just as quick as it had appeared, it was gone.

"Ah so the professor is important to Lara" he thought to himself. "That would explain why she was so pissed. I stole from him and wrecked his office in the process. At least I made sure not to damage anything, just make my visit known" He slowed his pace down, walking around her even slower, allowing himself the pleasure of examining her fine body. It had been such a long time since he had last seen her and in reality she looked so much better than the Lara of his memories.

He stopped right behind her and took a step forward. Lara felt him move, he was close, so close. If they had been any closer their bodies would have been touching, her back against his chest. But he had stopped just before. The feel of him so tantalisingly near yet not actually touching her was driving Lara crazy. Somewhere in the back of her mind she asked herself why? Why did she want him to touch her? But she ignored it, she was having a hard time thinking rationally.

She heard him move and then sensed his lips next to her ear. So near but again, not touching. So close that when he spoke she could feel the vibration against her ear lobe. His voice was low, intense, sexy. Wait what was she thinking? Kurtis Trent, sexy? Was she going mad? But again, she did not answer her own question, just waited for Kurtis' next move.

"Do you know what I want Lara?" his breath was cold against her ear and sent shivers all down her body. Her breathing had become unsteady and her gown suddenly felt too tight. She tried desperately to seem unresponsive, unaffected, but was not sure how well she had succeeded.

"No" it was barely a whisper. Her voice was uneven and husky, something she had not intended. She heard him chuckle. His breath tickled her neck and made her hairs stand on end. She didn't know how it was possible but she felt him move even closer, but still not touching her. He was driving her mad and he wasn't even doing anything to her.

She heard him take a breath and then,

"I want..."

Then from the shadows beyond the theatre the two heard a giggle, it was high pitched and very feminine. Lara felt Kurtis move away as she attempted to calm herself, make herself look less flustered. A couple walk out from the street and up the stairs into the theatre; they must have gone for a stroll during the interval. They were so wrapped up in each other they barely noticed Lara and Kurtis, stood next to the entrance, partly hidden behind a grand pillar.

Once the couple had gone inside Lara turned to face Kurtis. He was stood a good couple of metres away, putting a lot of distance between the two of them. Whatever had been burning in his eyes had gone and the cool, arrogant Kurtis was back. Lara tried her best to seem distant and neutral but was having a hard time forgetting the feel of him being so close.

Kurtis was also fighting a war inside his head. He knew he needed to stay professional, detached. But with Lara stood so near in that bewitching gown, her beautiful exotic scent and the way she shivered as he got near still fresh in his mind, it took every ounce of strength he had to not pull her into his arms. She was dangerous, not a normal woman he could just have some fun with and leave when he got bored, yet he was still very much attracted to her. He knew she could probably break his neck in an instant, regardless of the restriction of her dress, but he still wanted to get close to her, to know how it would feel.

He clenched his fists, mentally trying to free his head of her. He had a job to do.

"I need to speak to you, meet me outside the academia tomorrow morning, around 10." His voice was a little rough, still affected by their encounter. Lara, not trusting herself to speak just nodded, she knew arguing would be pointless and she was intrigued as to what Kurtis wanted to tell her. Plus she would get to see him again. Wait did she just think that? "Stop it" she thought, "you need to stay professional, plus what does it matter if you don't see him again, you worked together one time and then didn't see him again for years, you can cope without him! Right?"

Kurtis, after Lara had agreed to see him again, turned and simply walked down the theatre's steps and out into the street. Lara watched him for a moment before he disappeared into shadows. That's it? No good bye, no acknowledgement. She stormed into the entrance hall, frustrated. That man was so impossible. He's been supposedly dead for god knows how long and he's back for five minutes and already he's made her blood boil.

She stopped for a moment, just before the entrance into the actual theatre. Why did it matter? She had worked with him once and, yes, they had worked well together, very well in fact. But it had only been for a short period of time and then there had been no contact since, mainly because she had thought him dead. She had gotten on fine without him, what made him think she'd need him now.

Yet it was him that had made her breathless, him that had given her shivers up and down her spine and him that, despite herself, she looked forward to seeing again.

She took a deep breath, she'd been gone a while, no doubt the play would be starting again soon and _Zio _Lorenzo would be worrying about her. She knew there was no way she would be able to relax now but there was nothing she could do until tomorrow morning, so she walk back into the theatre, sat down next to _Zio _Lorenzo, gave him a small smile to show everything was ok, for now, and turned to face the stage as the curtain raised for act 2.

* * *

**A/N: **ehehe, oh I'm such a tease! Again, I hope you enjoyed that chapter and are still coping with my maybe slightly confusing story line, it will start to make sense soon, I promise!


	8. Chapter 8 Past

**A/N: **I must apologise now for the shortness of this chapter, it just felt right to end it where I did but then I realised it was pathetically tiny.  
Just you let you lovely guys know I am determined to finish this fic but this is an important year for me, completing A Levels and hopefully getting into a university to study literature and all that so although I promise to keep posting, I can't promise the updates will be regular and close together, but I'll try not to leave you for too long again :)  
Also I've realised I've not answered a few of your wonderful questions so I will have a go now

**wyverndragon: **where do I begin ;) thank you for firstly for always leaving a awesomely lovely review 3 ok so. 1. with the whole Lara being female so getting her to help would be counterproductive, I thought that too and I'm working on that, but _Zio _Lorenzo didn't feel he could trust anyone else with the info so saving the world fell to our lovely tomb raider once again. 2. the treasure hunter isn't a main character so wasn't really anyone but he isn't involved anymore so if you want him to be Pierre DuPont then he can be (although wasn't he crushed by the centaurs at the end of anniversary?) also the noise your brain makes when melting is pretty stunning! I am so so so glad you are enjoying my story 3  
**Nemesis: **thank you for the review, as I mentioned in my answer to wyverndragon the treasure hunter was just a character I created for the plot, he isn't really important anymore and you'll find more out about Hera and her crazy antics soon :P  
**Nuova Luna: **ooh if you are going to/have drawn the dress I'd love to see how you interpreted it, I wouldn't mind a dress like that myself! thank you for reviewing and I'm so pleased you keep looking forward to the next chapter!  
**nightrader1234: **so something interesting did happen at the theatre...but I guess you already know that now :) I had originally wrote it so Lara did punch Kurtis, but I want to really show how Kurtis is the only person that has been able to get under Lara's skin and make her act really out of character, it's something I will be developing later in the story, as well as Kurtis' POV :) yay for loving the story and thank you for reviewing!

Plus a massive thank you to **Chulips**, **ToxicSoap04** and **Ferilium **for also leaving me amazing reviews! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS!

Anyway, enough of my soppy-ness, here's chapter eight, enjoy!

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Eight: Past**

_"You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past."_

* * *

Lara stood outside the academia the next morning, the warm Italian sun caressing her face. She was early; she had barely slept and woken up with lots of time to spare. She had done everything possible to delay, but she was desperate to know what Kurtis had to tell her and patience was not something Lara had a lot of. She leant against the front of the building taking in the scenery and looking out over the Grand Canal. To passersby she would have seemed calm, relaxed, in fact most people wouldn't have even noticed her. But inside she was like a turbulent storm, full of unanswered questions and bubbling anticipation.

She spotted Kurtis around about ten minutes later, as soon as he appeared from behind a building. He looked more like the Kurtis she remembered than he had done last night, probably due to the fact he wasn't as dressed up. He dressed slightly different from how he used to, baggy ripped jeans and a simple white t-shirt, which clung distractingly to his muscular body. Lara watched him as he walked towards her. He seemed calmer, much more so than he had yesterday, his arms swung loosely, carelessly by his sides as he walked. His steps were large but relaxed, as if he was in no rush to get anywhere. People that didn't know Kurtis would have thought he was just a normal guy out to complete some mediocre task, completely calm with not a care in the world. Kurtis may have been able to fool other people, but he couldn't fool her.

Just by looking at his face she could tell he was tense, very tense, his arms may have seemed relaxed but he was clenching his fists. He looked directly at her, his face clear of any emotion, but Lara knew better. All it took was one look into his eyes and she could see the worry, the excitement, and the fear. This bothered Lara, Kurtis was not one to seem afraid or show it at least.

He stopped a good couple of metres in front of her, keeping his distance. They both stared at each other, neither sure what to say or how to greet each other. Kurtis brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck, an awkward but slightly endearing gesture. He gave Lara a crooked smile, with only a hint of arrogance, she couldn't help but smile back but quickly the urgency of the matter at hand returned to her and the smile slowly slipped from her lips. Kurtis' eyes wondered over her again, but they were not as intense as they had been yesterday, more kind and warm. They travelled down her arms and then stopped, a faint frown played across his face.

"I see you have come, empty handed" at his words Lara felt slightly ashamed. She could see from his backpack that he had kept his side of the deal, yet she had not brought his chirugai. It was not that she intentionally didn't want to give it back, she knew it was more use to Kurtis than her. But she had grown attached to it. It had been her only link to The Louvre, to Prague, to him and she was having a hard time parting with it. Obviously she wouldn't mention this to Kurtis.

"Don't worry it's safe, I just wanted to make sure you kept your side of the deal. Plus if you actually answer some of my questions I may consider giving it back" This was said with a teasing smirk, which Kurtis faultlessly returned. Lara turned towards the Academia's entrance and Kurtis, without questioning, followed. She led him up to _Zio _Lorenzo's office, aware he must have known the way, considering he had visited the room already this week. She opened the door and was greeted with a small but sincere smile from Lorenzo. He was sat behind his desk and had positioned two chairs in front of it. After the play last night, Lara had told him how she had bumped into an 'old friend' who had come across the pomegranate. She didn't mention it was him who had broken into and trashed Lorenzo's office or the fact he seemed to know of their desire to retrieve the artefact. _Zio _Lorenzo understood Lara's need for secrecy and trusted her totally, if he needed to know it, she would tell him, if not, he wouldn't ask.

Lara on the other hand had a lot to ask Kurtis, but she would rather not in front of Lorenzo. She loved the old man, but he didn't need to know what she and Kurtis had to discuss.

They both sat in the chairs, Kurtis mastering the casual sprawled look perfectly, Lara elegantly crossing her legs and leaning towards _Zio _Lorenzo. She prayed the two men would get along and that Kurtis wouldn't say anything stupid, something she was expecting none the less.

Kurtis silently grabbed his backpack from where he had placed it on the floor and unzipped the main section. He slipped his hand inside and rummaged for a few seconds.

"I believe this belongs to you" Kurtis said, confusion dancing across _Zio _Lorenzo's face, it took him a moment to identify the accent. Kurtis then pulled out the pomegranate. Lara had not appreciated its beauty the night before, she had been too overcome with rage at the fact it had been Kurtis who stole it from Lorenzo. But now with the early morning sun, that shone through the office's small window, dancing and glinting off the ornaments golden surface, she was completely mesmerized. It was simple in its design, it was purely made of golden and rather small, Kurtis' hand seemed to swamp it.

He looked up to _Zio _Lorenzo and smiled, Lara also looked at her old friends face and saw a mix of relief, joy and a sort of entrancement, everyone in the room was effected by the beautiful yet simplistic ornament. Kurtis passed it to Lorenzo, leaning forward to reach over the large desk.

He carefully placed it in the other man's hand. Lorenzo looked at it with utter fascination, slowly stroking his hand across the smooth exterior.

"_Splendido_, where did you find it _signor_?" Lara was pleased to see Kurtis had the decency to look a little sheepish, something _Zio _Lorenzo luckily didn't notice.

"A man was selling it at the market in Rialto, I knew of yours and Lara's interest in it so I bought it, got a good price for it too, the man had no idea of its true value." Lara had to admit, the man was a good liar, something she knew she should be aware of. She looked at both Kurtis and _Zio _Lorenzo and saw they were both completely relaxed in each other's company. She smiled momentarily, pleased that they got along with each other, but she was burning up with questions she needed to ask Kurtis and she knew, with their current situation, that time was essential.

"_Zio _Lorenzo, we will leave you alone while you get a proper look at the ornament, we don't want to be a distraction. How long will you need?" At Lara's question Kurtis turned to her and gave her an intrigued look, she ignored it, waiting for Lorenzo's answer.

"I have no idea _bella bambina, _I don't really know where to start, let's say _uno ora, si, _come back in one hour and we will see what I have achieved. Now go have some fun" and with that he winked at Kurtis.

Lara couldn't believe it. It took all her self control to stop herself from gawking mindlessly at her old friend. Had she missed some sort of communication between the two? What did he mean by fun? And what the hell was that wink all about? Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kurtis smirking, both at _Zio _Lorenzo's comment and Lara's reaction. She stood quickly and left the room, as she passed through the door she heard both Kurtis and Lorenzo's chuckle. Furious at being the source of amusement she took the stairs two at a time and paced outside the front of the Academia, waiting for Kurtis.

When he emerged around the corner, Lara looked at him, trying to guess anything from his expression. But he was still smirking arrogantly at her, which angered her further.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Lara hated not knowing what was going on at all times and felt unfairly left out of some inside joke between Kurtis and _Zio _Lorenzo. She was not use to being clueless to situations and almost felt humiliated. She knew _Zio _Lorenzo meant in no way to upset her from his comment but she couldn't help feeling a little hurt at being the basis of their secret joke. Almost as if they were mocking her. Kurtis just smirked at her more and shook his head. Lara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine, but you will answer some of my questions today, if you ever want to see your beloved chirugai again." Kurtis turned to her, a comeback on the tip of his tongue, but when he looked into her eyes and saw no hint of amusement he stopped himself from replying and instead carried on looking into her hazel eyes. He had worked closely with Lara and believed she had trusted him more than she would most people, yet there were still times, like this one now, when he had no idea what was going on inside of her head, but would have given anything to find out.

"Where are you planning on taking me then?" Kurtis asked and risked a smile, nothing teasing or taunting, just a simple warm smile, attempting to show he didn't mean to agitate her. Lara noticed this and made herself calm a little, why was she such a control freak? No wonder she managed to scare everyone away she had ever cared about.

"I think we both have a few questions to ask each other, there's this little café right on the edge of the Grand Canal, '_La Bella Rosa', _you must have heard of it" she gave him a coy smile, referring to the fact she knew it had been him in the café yesterday. Kurtis grinned back and gestured in the general direction of the café

"After you _signora!"_

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_Splendido = _splendid  
_Signor_ = Mr  
_Uno ora = _one hour


	9. Chapter 9 Understanding

**A/N: **It's been too long...again :( I always have such good intentions for this story and then I forget for long periods of time and I am so sorry for that.

**wyverndragon: **well seeing as you clearly love Pierre so dearly, I'll allow you to carry on pretending he was the treasure hunter, haha. But he doesn't appear again I'm sorry to say. Oh I do love writing Kurtis, especially when he's frustrating Lara! I'm sure his supreme lying skills will reemerge at some point (not saying anything). Whoops, my bad, you would have thought an A Level Literature student, hoping to study it at University, would understand effect/affect by now, but no, it gets me every time! Thank you for yet another lovely review!

**Ferilium: **I've always thought the Chirugai was beautiful, I did try and let Lara hold onto it as long as possible :) haha, I can promise a lot more laughing at Lara from Kurtis and Lorenzo, they just can't seem to help themselves! Thank you for the wonderful review.

**nightrader1234: **haha, you'll probably want to punch Kurtis a lot more throughout this story, as well as wanting to just squeeze him because he is just too adorable! I love Lorenzo too! As most of you have guessed, I based him on an old Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed. Thanks for being awesome and reviewing!

**en-lumine: **ah thank you, I still find it strange when people say how much they love my work. haha, you saw those huh? I thought I was being so subtle about that, I'm glad you're enjoying them! Thank you :)

As I said before I am so sorry that I was so long uploading again, unfortunately I can't promise it won't happen again as life just seems to get in the way! But I will try my absolute hardest to keep going with this as I love writing it and you guys, for some reason, seem to enjoy reading it. Thank you again and here is chapter 9

* * *

**Insanity of a Goddess**

**Chapter Nine: Understanding**

_"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding."_

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Lara greeted Signor Giovanni when they entered the café and was rewarded with a genuine and gentle smile, similar to _Zio _Lorenzo's. He then welcomed them both warmly and sat them down in a small booth at the back of the café, if he recognised Kurtis from the day before he showed no sign of it. The two settled into their seats and Lara asked Giovanni for a jug of water and two glasses, which he immediately went to fetch with another smile.

"You know him?" Kurtis asked, whether he was genuinely interested or just wanted to get the conversation going Lara did not know, but she answered all the same.

"I only met him for the first time yesterday but he is a good friend of Lorenzo's and a kind man" just as Lara finished speaking Giovanni returned with their drinks, gave them one final smile and then left to check on his other customers. Kurtis lifted the jug and poured himself a glass and then poured one for Lara, while she tried to decide what to ask first.

She looked at him for a long moment before deciding on "So what actually happened in Prague? When I came back after defeating Eckhardt, Karel and the Sleeper, all I found was an empty room, your chirugai and a large pool of your blood"

Kurtis hesitated for a moment, taking a sip of his water before putting the glass down and thinking. He knew she would ask him this, yet he had never actually prepared the answer.

"I don't remember much, as you've already pointed out I had lost a lot of blood, I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I was certain I was already dead or at least very close to dying." Kurtis paused, thinking again.

"I had somehow managed to make it out onto a street in Prague's town centre, I was in a very bad way and some people must have noticed. The last thing I remember before passing out completely is an old woman running towards me. Next thing I know I'm laying on a bed in a strange room completely healed, nothing but a scar now. Apparently I had been asleep for weeks and this old woman had been looking after me." Kurtis stopped again and looked at Lara, trying to read her expression.

"I have no idea how she saved me, to be honest I'm sure she must have been doing some crazy supernatural stuff, but I didn't ask and she didn't tell, all I cared about was that I was alive, how I came to be that way didn't bother me" He gave a little smile which Lara returned, glad to finally understand what had actually happened that one cold night in Prague.

"Anyway I can totally understand how you'd think me being alive is just the best news" he winked at her, which she returned with a scowl "but must I remind you there are more important matters at hand, and I'm sure you have many more wonderful questions to ask me" the last was said in a very sarcastic tone, something Lara chose to ignore, at least he was answering the questions now.

"Don't flatter yourself Trent! Ok, well firstly how the hell did you get from this café to Lorenzo's office so quickly and then completely wreck the place" Kurtis had the decency to look a little sheepish "find the ornament and get out before we got back?" Lara paused and took a sip from her water, watching Kurtis calculate his answer.

"Well, as soon as I heard Lorenzo mention he had kept the ornament in his office I went to head straight there forgetting I had a bill to pay which Mr Giovanni here kindly reminded to the whole café, which is where you almost caught me" Kurtis smirked, referring to Lara's quick exit from the café into the street.

"I ran straight there, I knew where it was because I've actually been trying to talk to Professor Auditore for a while now, about the whole situation in Greece, but he's a very hard man to contact. Anyway I ran into the office and knew I didn't have much time after your reaction back at the café so I used my telekinesis to quickly, and rather destructively I'll admit, search through the room for the ornament, found it and left as soon as I could, I didn't have time to set the room right. I'd just made it round the side of the academia as you and Lorenzo came round the corner."

They both took another sip of water, Kurtis to catch his breath and Lara to take in what she had just heard.

"Ok, so firstly how did you know I was coming to Venice or how did you know we were going to the café at least? And what do you know about what's going on in Greece?" Kurtis smirked at her.

"Nu uh, it's my turn" Lara went to argue but then stopped herself. He had answered her questions and he probably had some of his own too, it had been a long time.

"So, why do you call the old Professor Uncle? That's what _Zio_ means in Italian right?" Lara was a little surprised at this, of all the questions he could have asked her and he chose this? Well at least it was relatively easy to answer.

"He's an old family friend, I used to visit him with my farther when I was a little girl, I've always seen him as an uncle and I guess the term just stuck" she smiled a little at this, remembering the first time she had called him uncle, completely spontaneously when she was little and the joy that had lit up his face. "Why do you want to know?"

Kurtis shrugged "just curious" he picked up a knife from the cutlery on the table and began to effortlessly twirl it between his fingers.

"Right, you wanted to know how I knew you were here, well the truth is I didn't, I've been here trying to talk to Lorenzo for a few weeks as you know and I was stood outside the academia yesterday trying to work out how to get hold of him without looking suspicious or startling him when who should walk by right in front of me? It's none other than Ms Lara Croft, and who should she be going to see, only the man I've been trying to talk to for weeks!" Kurtis laughed and shook his head "I had a good idea he was going to tell you exactly what I was going to ask him about, and you hadn't even had to work for it"

Lara smiled "that's what you get when you're nice to people Kurtis, maybe you should try it sometime" Kurtis attempted a mock offended look but they both just ended up laughing.

"Anyway, I followed the two of you to the café got a table close but not too close to yours and just listened. Now about that 'problem' in Greece"

Lara refilled her glass and the two began discussing what they knew, turned out they had pretty similar information. Kurtis had been in Greece recently and noticed the odd behavior of the locals and began asking around. After finally persuading the terrified locals to tell him what was going on he found out about the myth of Hera and did some research. He decided that the best thing to do would be find an expert on the subject, who turned out to be none other than Professor Lorenzo Auditore, hence why he was in Venice now.

"Ok, one last question" Kurtis turned to look at Lara and saw a certain amount of seriousness in her eyes. He nodded but stayed silent.

"Why did you go to so much trouble to take the ornament if you were just going to give it back?" Kurtis looked into her eyes again and saw genuine confusion and understood why, after stealing the pomegranate he hadn't really gained anything from doing so and he had then simply given it back to Lorenzo earlier this morning. She had every right to be confused.

Kurtis smiled at her, it wasn't an arrogant smirk or a grin made to irritate her, it was just a simple smile, something she rarely saw Kurtis do and it just added fuel to her confusion.

"I took it because I wanted to get you to listen."


End file.
